九零年代世界独立音乐界最受瞩目的摇滚/民谣/蓝调的音乐创作人之一,来自纽约的传奇女性音乐创作歌手Chan Marshall (a.k.a Cat Power) 从九零年代初期出道以来,一直因为她的音乐才华和真诚表达情感,让人无法不注视,在一九九八年发行独立音乐界完全石破天惊的好评经典"Moon Pix",更是彻底的把她的"indie darling "和 "独立音乐界女主角"的声势从纽约完完全全的拉到了世界每一个喜欢独立音乐的角落。虽然鲜有宣传,但光是在美国,"Moon Pix"和"The Covers Record"就有四十万张的销售量,更是让Cat Power和Yo La Tengo、Belle & Sebastian、Jon Spencer and his Blues Explosion齐名成为了纽约知名的半独立厂牌Matador Records 绝对最重要的艺人之一,而在日本Chan Marshall被誉为民谣摇滚的唯一希望,在爱死她的法国她几乎就是明星了,甚至不可思议的拥有金唱片,在德国他们叫她用不可思议的感情做民谣的人,在澳洲从九八年后几乎没有一场Cat Power的演出不是爆满的,在英国几乎没一个找她来的酒吧在她演出的时候赚得到大笔酒钱,不是因为大家太专心了,就是因为没人敢乱动跑去买酒,因为怕打扰到别人。
by Heather Phares
Cat Power's 1998 album Moon Pix continues Chan Marshall's transformation from an indie rock Cassandra into a reflective, accomplished singer/songwriter. Where her previous works were an urgent, aching mix of punk, folk, and blues, Moon Pix is truly soul(ful) music: warm, reflective, complex, and cohesive. For this album, Marshall moved the recording sessions for the album to Australia, and switched her rhythm section to the Dirty Three's Mick Turner and Jim White; the lineup changes add new depth and light to her compelling, intricate guitar work and gently insistent vocals. From the backwards drum loop on "American Flag" (borrowed from the Beastie Boys' "Paul Revere") to the fluttering, smoky flutes on "He Turns Down" to the double-tracked vocals and crashing thunderstorms of "Say," Moon Pix's expressive arrangements mirror the songs' fine emotional shadings. Marshall is sunny on the quietly hopeful "You May Know Him," hypnotic and seductive on "Cross Bones Style," and poignant on "Colors & the Kids," where she sings, "It's so hard to go into the city/Because you want to say hi, hello, I love you to everybody." As natural and refined as a pearl, Moon Pix is a collection of fragile yet strong songs that reveal Marshall's unique, personal songwriting talents in their full glory.